Highlights
- Many Chinese immigrants choose to bring their parents to Australia so they can live closer together but older Chinese people sometimes struggle to adapt to their new lives in a foreign land.
- Chinese community groups across Melbourne enable new migrants to partake in activities to help alleviate feelings of isolation.
- As remaining COVID-19 restrictions lift, activities in the Chinese community have begun to restart after a three-year suspension.
Life is back on track for migrant seniors across Melbourne.
After a three-year hiatus caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, 77-year-old Malaysian Chinese Kim Choong Tai performed Chinese folk music with his eight-person band in a small Dandenong theatre in Melbourne’s outer south-east on Saturday.
It was the first time the band had performed in front of an audience since COVID-19 hit three years ago.
“I feel so happy to be back,” Mr Tai, a flautist, said.
To members of his band and other troupes who performed at the concert on the day, it was a momentous occasion that gave them their sense of “busy-ness” and life back again.
Kim Tai and his eight-person band performing at the Lantern Festival concert on Saturday. Source: Yue Gong/SBS Chinese
But behind the event was an even greater shared feeling.
For many, participating in community activities and rehearsals had become the key to easing loneliness after settling in Australia as an older migrant with limited English.
The challenges of resettlement in Australia
According to the Department of Home Affairs, there were 14,827 parents of settled Australian citizens who applied for a permanent visa in 2020-2021, up 17 per cent (12,664) from the previous year.
The Australian government also allows a annual cap of 15,000 parents to visit Australia for up to three to five years on temporary sponsored visas (Subclass 870).
For older parents, moving countries to be closer to their children brings joy and happiness.
But at the same time, ageing and being a migrant can be potential triggers for experiencing a kind of existential loneliness.
Guiqin Chu said she left her busy Beijing life and migrated to Australia in 2010 with her husband to be closer to her daughter and grandchildren.
She said she spent the first two years adjusting to a new life as a “full-time cook” and caretaker for her extended family.
After immigrating to Australia with her daughter, Chu Guiqin had difficulty adapting to her new life for the first two years of her stay in Australia. Source: Yue Gong/SBS Chinese
“I didn't even know how to answer the phone,” she said.
She said she had had no social activities during the week, nor any friends and remembers the period as “depressing” and isolating.
That was until she discovered Neighbourhood House in Springvale and other Chinese seniors in Glen Waverly in Melbourne’s southeast.
She said she took up many new activities at the centre including ballroom dancing, ethnic Chinese dancing, tai chi, and even lion dancing.
At first, I felt that it was quite fun to exercise and to jump around. Then I found the confidence to learn [new activities].
Before the pandemic, Ms Chu filled her schedule with activities three times a week, and during holidays, her group performed on stage.
"I went to Glen Waverley for ballroom dancing on Mondays, square dancing in Springvale on Thursdays, and sometimes I’d also go to square dancing class in Clayton,” she said.
Chinese performers of Springvale's Neighbourhood House sometimes perform for local councils, schools and aged care residents. Source: Yue Gong/SBS Chinese
Ms Chu said her family was very supportive of her busy lifestyle.
"I’m generally happier because I’m making friends and exercising more. Life hasn’t been this fulfilling for a very long time,” she said.
Opportunity to showcase Chinese culture and mix with rest of community
Qiao’er Feng was a Chinese opera performer before she came to Australia in 1985 from Guangdong province in mainland China.
After arriving, Ms Feng raised her family and focused on settling in to her new country.
Other than the occasional Spring Festival or community rehearsal, her arrival marked the beginning of the end of a life in the performing arts.
Chao opera performer Qiao'er Feng said she was happy she could bring happiness to the elderly at Saturday’s concert. Source: Yue Gong/SBS Chinese
Last Saturday, the end of the Lantern Festival concert was brought to a climax when Ms Feng took to the stage in a long, pink dress with a big, red flower in her hair.
"I was very happy to perform. I liked passing on my good mood to everyone,” she said.
In contrast to Chinese traditional performances, British singer Paul Dykes performed an Elvis Presley classic “Can’t Help Falling in Love” cover accompanied by Mr Tai on the flute.
As a self-described lover of Chinese culture having frequented Shenzhen, mainland China’s answer to “Silicon Valley”, on numerous occasions, Mr Dykes said he felt honoured to be asked to partake in Saturday’s concert.
“I do love Chinese culture very much. I love being surrounded by Chinese audiences,” he said.
Mr Dykes says it was a good opportunity for the concert’s large Chinese audience to be able to listen to live Western music.
British singer songwriter Paul Dykes performed at the Lantern Festival concert accompanied by flautist Kim Tai. Source: Yue Gong/SBS Chinese
I find Chinese people like to stay within their culture. They mix very well and they do move overseas but you do not find too much Western music among the older generation of Chinese people.
Neighbourhood House President Shijie Chen, said some of its 30 members, who are mostly aged in their 60s, also took part in Saturday’s concert due to their passion for sharing Chinese culture through performances.
Their members regularly engage in the community by presenting tai chi, “qipao” traditional dress performance and traditional Korean dance to local councils, schools and aged care homes.
"We want to show Chinese culture and its customs … to our friends in Australia. We want Australia and China to have friendly relations,” said Mr Chen, who arrived in 1990.
Active on the community front
Some older migrants don’t just participate in activities but play a bigger role in their communities.
Mr Tai, a retired IT professional and current secretary of the Australian Chinese Band, was the organiser of the Lantern Festival concert.
Kim Tai organised Saturday's concert on behalf of his orchestral group. Source: Yue Gong/SBS Chinese
The event was scheduled for February but was postponed until all remaining COVID-19 restrictions were ditched at 11:59pm last Friday.
During the height of the pandemic, Mr Tai was a community voice in relaying information in Mandarin about the effects of “long COVID”.
But now that community life has returned, Mr Tai is back doing what he loves best – organising community get togethers.
"I like to organise entertainment events and occasions for people to perform. It doesn’t matter their level. They’re all welcome,” he said.
